Mike Epps

Mike Epps
Mike Epps
Born	Michael E. Epps
Occupation(s)	Actor, stand-up comedian, voice artist, singer, rapper, host of the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards
Years active	1997–present
Spouse	Michelle McCain (2006-present)

Michael E. "Mike" Epps (born November 18, 1970) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, voice artist, singer, rapper, and the host of the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards, best known for portraying Day-Day in Next Friday and the sequel-to-the-sequel, Friday After Next, and also starring alongside Ice Cube in All About The Benjamins.

Other than his acting, singing, and rapping, he is also known for his sound-alike of Martin Lawrence.

Epps recently released his stand-up comedy special, Under Rated & Never Faded.

In Dr. Dolittle 2, Epps provided the voice of Sonny.

Epps is also the current voice of Boog from the Open Season franchise, replacing Martin Lawrence. In the upcoming 2011 film, Open Season 3, he will reprise his role.

He also has a cousin named Omar Epps.

Mike Epps also made a cameo in the movie, Hancock, as a criminal.

Biography

Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana into a large family, Mike Epps' natural comedic ability was encouraged at an early age, and he began performing standup as a teenager. He moved to Atlanta where he worked at the Comedy Act Theater, before moving to New York City to star in Def Comedy Jam in 1995. Mike's first major film role came just two years later when he starred in Vin Diesel's Strays, a dramatic portrayal of relationships and drugs.

Personal life

Mike Epps married Michelle McCain in 2006. Mike had met her while filming The Fighting Temptations (in which they appeared alongside Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Beyonce). Michelle had a minor, non-speaking role in the film as Mike's character's girlfriend.

Career

By 1995, Mike Epps ended up on the Def Comedy Jam tour and starred in two of HBO's Def Comedy Jam broadcasts. With a stop along the way to appear in Vin Diesel's directorial debut, Strays (1997), Epps was well on his way to becoming one of the bigger names in stand-up.

Epps appeared in an episode of The Sopranos in 1999, the same year the comedian was cast as Ice Cube's co-star (effectively, Chris Tucker's replacement) in the sequel, Next Friday. Mike headed for Los Angeles, where he invited Ice Cube to catch his stand-up set. Impressed, the rapper-actor-producer asked Mike to try out for the part of Day-Day, which he landed after weeks of auditions.

Opening at Number One on the box-office charts, Next Friday was a breakthrough for the new actor, who was already familiar to much of the audience from his stand-up work. Mike played Day-Day, a timid, stressed-out character stalked by his obsessive ex-girlfriend (Tamala Jones) and her brutish younger sister, Baby D (Lady of Rage). Day-Day also smoked a lot with his co-worker (Justin Pierce). Later that year, Mike had a cameo in 3 Strikes, and supported Jamie Foxx in Bait.

Epps began in 2001 with a voice role in Dr. Dolittle 2 as Sonny the bear, and finished the year with a featured role as comical pimp Baby Powder in How High, starring Redman and Method Man. Mike played the bumbling thief to Ice Cube's bounty hunter in All About the Benjamins in 2002 and again re-teamed with the rapper/actor/filmmaker in the continuing Friday saga's latest entry Friday After Next (2002).

He recently had a small part in the song A Bay Bay by Hurricane Chris doing the Rick James move. He also hosted a Jim Jones and Skull Gang album entitled Jim Jones & Skull Gang Present A Tribute To Bad Santa Starring Mike Epps. Mike has also made a song called Trying To Be a Gangsta with Pooh Bear.

Mike Epps also has a song called "Big Girls," which came out in 2008. It was originally recorded by Bow Wow, and featuring Yung Joc. The song is currently on iTunes and can be found on his album, Funny Bidness - Da Album, which was released October 27, 2009.

Filmography

Movie appearances

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2000	Next Friday	Day-Day	Lead Role
	Bait	Stevie Sanders	Supporting Role
	3 Strikes	Space Cowboy	Minor Role
2001	Dr. Dolittle 2	Sonny (voice)	Supporting Role
2001	How High	Baby Powder	Supporting Role
2002	All About The Benjamins	Reggie	Lead Role
2002	Friday After Next	Day-Day / Old Man	Lead Role
2003	Malibu's Most Wanted	Rap-Battle Host	Uncredited / Cameo
2003	The Fighting Temptations	Lucius	Lead Role
2004	Resident Evil: Apocalypse	L.J.	Lead Role
2004	Still 'Bout It	Bobby Ray	Video
2005	Guess Who	Cab Driver	Uncredited / Cameo
	The Honeymooners	Ed Norton	Lead Role
	Roll Bounce	Byron	Minor Role
2006	Something New	Walter	Supporting Role
2007	Talk To Me	Milo Hughes	Supporting Role
	The Grand	Reggie Marshall	Supporting Role
	Resident Evil: Extinction	L.J.	Lead Role
2008	Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins	Reggie Jenkins	Supporting Role
	Hancock	Criminal	Cameo
	Soul Men	Duane Henderson	Minor Role
	2009	Next Day Air	Brody	Lead Role
The Hangover		Black Doug	Supporting Role
Open Season 2		Boog (voice)	Supporting Role
Janky Promoters	Jelly Roll	Lead Role
2010	Lottery Ticket	Minister	Filming
	Liberty City: The American Dream	Unknown	Pre-production
	2011	Open Season 3	Boog (voice)	Post-production